Overview
Breastfeeding is the best way of feeding, both for mums and babies. However, not all mums are able to exclusively breastfeed – and some will choose not to.
Combination feeding involves supplementing breastfeeding with bottle-feeding – using formula or expressed breast milk. It enables parental flexibility through the night, or when a mum returns to work.
Advice to offer parents who have chosen to combination feed:
- Breastfeeding should be well established first
- Introducing partial bottle-feeding may have a negative effect on breast milk supply and reversing a decision not to breastfeed is difficult
- The Unicef Guide to the Baby Friendly Initiative Standards recommends responsive bottle-feeding as a way to prevent overfeeding.
- Bottle sterilisation and preparation instructions should be carefully explained to parents/carers to ensure that they have the information to make up feeds correctly and safely.
- Introducing one bottle
IMPORTANT NOTICE: We believe that breastfeeding is the ideal nutritional start for babies as breast milk provides a balanced diet and protection against illness for a baby. We fully support the World Health Organization’s recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life followed by the introduction of adequate nutritious complementary foods along with sustained breastfeeding up to two years of age. We also recognise that breastfeeding may not be an option due to certain medical conditions. Parents should only feed Infant formula for special medical purposes under supervision of a healthcare professional after full consideration of all feeding options, including breastfeeding. Continued use must be assessed by the healthcare professional in relation to the baby's progress bearing in mind any social and financial implications for the family. Infant formula should always be prepared, used and stored as instructed on the label in order to avoid risks to a baby’s health.
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